Private Sector, Role in Recovery

Population Density and Patterns of Behavior

Increasing population growth in hazardous areas adds to recovery problems. A map showing a definite pattern of increasing population densities along coastlines where tsunamis can hit was created in 2005 by Columbia University, using sources from the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) also devised a map showing the gridded population of the world (GPW).

The location of dense populations also coincides with multiple natural hazards leading to more people at risk. This can be seen in the Australian Spaceguard Survey's list of tsunami deaths, at Dartmouth University's Flood Observatory, and by superimposing population density maps over seismic maps created by the Association of Computing Machinery. Common natural hazard zones show that the majority of the Earth's population is at risk. The need for water moves people to live in flood zones and by mountains with glaciers, where there's an increased risk of geologic activity. Fishing for food brings people to oceans where tsunamis can strike; and agriculture necessitates flat, endless plains, which also provide unobstructed access for severe weather, including tornadoes.

Violence is another hazard that prevents societies from functioning within a normal time frame after disasters. An Absence of Violence ranking of 121 countries, developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit, shows 24 indicators of levels of violence within a country, including organized crime, the number of people in prison, and military expenditures. Conclusions of the report indicated that countries with larger populations in dense configurations have decreased peace and more unrest, and the accompanying violence can also affect populations in neighboring countries. Dense urban populations tend to be more violent because of the inevitable competition for space and resources, and they tend to be less self sufficient, since necessities are usually just a few blocks away. Burgeoning populations also add to the potential role of the private sector in recovery, because with denser populations comes more private-sector actors in closer proximity.

Historical Public and Private Divisions

In the past, disaster relief arrived locally, with people helping their neighbors in small communities. There was no conflict between businesses helping people who often were their friends and relatives as well as customers. Much of the third world still responds to disasters in this same manner, but more industrially and economically advanced countries with larger population centers have taken disaster relief in a new direction, using the economies of scale and technology to create a more efficient disaster relief organization.

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